Thursday, July 12, 2012

Friends, we
have found a very exciting exercise machine that is ideal for helping Seth to
build and maintain muscle mass in his legs.
Besides this considerable benefit, this machine is excellent for
building back strength, which is critical with Seth’s present battle with
spinal curvature (a condition that has developed due to a wheelchair
malfunction which has since been corrected).
It is called the Cardio Strider 2, and costs about $2000.00, and there
is one available at a store here in Cedar Rapids.

That’s the good news. Now for
the bad news.

We
don’t have enough money to purchase this unit.
The Seth Fund at River of Life Ministries had $1100, so we have
withdrawn it with the hope of receiving at least $900 more dollars from friends
such as yourself, thus enabling us to obtain this machine for Seth’s
development toward walking again.

Some of you may remember how far we had come until
we had to curtail Seth’s exercises due to a serious pressure sore in the waning
months of 2011. He was able to move
both his legs in an outward motion, and he had just started moving his left
foot. Since the sore, though, we have
lost a lot of ground. We would love to
be able to see Seth catch up faster and go even further through the use of the
Cardio Strider 2.

Please take the time right now to give whatever
you are able for helping Seth’s quest for recovery. We need your generosity - especially now! Any amount - from a few dollars to the full
$900 - would be so incredibly appreciated by Seth and his family.

The
Cardio Strider 2 enables Seth to place his feet on the two platforms, set
securely in an adjustable seat, and by moving the upright levers with his hands
simulate the act of walking. By using
this machine, Seth would be able to do many more repetitions on a regular
schedule than is presently done with human assistants, and would solve several
major exercising issues. See
www.inspirefitness.net.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

O Lord of the Resurrection, we have celebrated the
wonder of Christ being raised from the dead.
Let us now become the evidence for this truth, that your Holy Spirit may
live in us, and that we may continue to do Christ’s work in this world. May our lives bring glory and honor to you,
O God, because of the presence of the risen Christ in us. Amen. *Lord of life, through your Son’s obedience in dying on
the Cross, we have been lifted up to new and everlasting life. God calls us to proclaim the Good News of
the risen Christ, and to invite others to share in the eternal joy of walking
and talking with Jesus. May our lives
glorify you forever, and may our hearts always be yours. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.*God of all, Christ is our Great Shepherd, for he laid
down his life for us, and rescued us from death. Indeed, he protects us even now as we follow him. All honor and praise belong to you, our God
and Savior, for we are the people you have called, we are the sheep of your
pasture. Feed us now with the knowledge
of your Son, so that we may proclaim his name throughout the world, for it is
in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.*Everliving God
of all, you reveal your glory in Jesus Christ, and in Him we discover all the
wonderful things that are to come. Your
promises give us hope, for your Holy Spirit shows us that your Word is
faithful. Jesus your Son shows us that
we can trust you. As followers of
Jesus, may we bring the hope we have been given to a dying and despairing
world, for it is through Christ we pray.
Amen.*

O wonderful Saviour, it is with the utmost joy that we
come before you this day. We give you
all honor and praise, for you are not a God who demands of us great and
magnificent deeds to win your approval and favor. Rather, you are a God who accepts us as we are, is merciful beyond
measure toward us, and who delights to give us the gifts of your grace. You lift us into your presence, where life
is new, is full, and is forever. Amen.*Gracious and
Everliving Lord, you have showered us with kindness upon kindness. In Jesus the Anointed One, you have opened
the way for us to live in your presence, not as mere servants but as the very
friends of God. Indeed, you lift our hearts when you call us by name, you
dispel our fears with your grace, and you stir our souls with your healing
love. We praise you, and with our
voices we sing your praises this day forth and forevermore. Amen. *Gracious Lord of all, we come before you this day in Spirit and in
Truth. You are a holy and awesome God,
the very essence of all truth and love.
We are completely unworthy to stand in your presence. Only through Jesus the Anointed One dare we
approach your throne, for he offers us to you as the prize for his sacrifice,
the reward for his obedience. All
praise and honor to you, ruler of the universe, for bringing truth and grace
together in Christ, whose name we exalt this day. Amen.*O God, Ruler of the Universe, we give you all praise
this day for your Holy Spirit, your life in us, making us new, renewing the
world. You have called us forth from
death to life by the power of your Word, and we call upon your name with the
breath of your Spirit in us. You are
the Creator who delights in the art of your creation, sculpting us into your
image, and you are the Gift-giver who comes into our hearts, making us into the
very temple of the Living God. In the
name of the Holy One of Israel, the only true God who is revealed through Jesus
Christ as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Yes, I'm still alive. I just haven't had much to say lately. However, I thought I would throw in a couple of the prayers I've written lately for the worship services at Calvin Sinclair Presbyterian Church.

PRAYER OF ADORATION

O Lord our Lord, we give you praise and honor, for you alone are holy.We are not worthy to enter into your presence, yet you are most merciful, and overflowing with love for your people.Weak and frail though we are, you come to us in your Son, Jesus, and you speak to us of your salvation and you embrace us as the children of your grace.We give you thanks, dear Father, for your great and wonderful kindness toward us.Amen.

prayer of confession

Most merciful and loving Lord, we confess to you that we have taken your grace for granted, and that we have counted a couple of hours in church as all you should receive from us. We read the Bible, but do not hear your Word. We sing the songs, but forget their meaning. We claim the Name, but our hearts are far from you. Forgive us, gracious God, and grant that we would be made alive through your Spirit. Fill us with the joy of your grace, and give us the passion to serve and honor you in every moment of our lives. In the name of Jesus, who died that we might live, we pray. Amen.

PRAYER OF ADORATION

Gracious Lord of all, we stand before you in the shining light of your love. We celebrate your presence with us, for you do not hold us in contempt, nor do you condemn us. You embrace us through Jesus Christ, and in him we discover that the Creator of the Universe is also our closest friend. Glory to you, O God! We praise you, our Lord forever more. Amen.

prayer of confession

Great God and Creator, you have ripped apart the heavens so that you can walk with us in the world. Yet, we fail to see you, for we are preoccupied with the shortcomings of those around us. We complain that you are distant and uncaring, as we struggle with the daily limitations of being human. Forgive us, gracious Lord, and grant us hearts to see that you are close to us, and give us faith that reveals your amazing glory in the midst of the ordinary. We ask this in the name of the One who died that we may live, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Will Jackson: Scripturae meum tibi offero, Domine!

Basically, as one who has made his living through preaching to others, like St. Paul preaching till Eutychus fell out the window after he fell asleep (The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 20, verses 7-12), these blogs will be a feeble attempt on my part to communicate in a less captive and numbing manner.

Searching For God's Will?

If you are daring and want to test your limits, please note that my sermon list is straight down on this side of the blog site. Just be careful not to sit on any window sills while you are listening!

My two video sermons can be accessed by going to the sermon list on this blog, click either "Quick-eyed Love" or "From Faith To Fear" and voila - there shall appear video through the marvel of Youtube!